MASTERMIND | spencer reid

008: 'you missed my heart' were her last words before she died.

Ten years since the worst day of her life. As far as she was concerned, she hadn't left it. In the beginning, this specific day was the worse—the hardest day to get through, the day it all happened. And she would wallow in it for 24 hours, unsleeping, typically tipsy, and repeating over and over get through this day. As if, in the next, she would just forget.

She noticed recently she had repeating that mantra more and more, almost everyday. Get through today, maybe the next might be better. Things usually just stayed the same. She was simply indifferent towards the other days. But one thing was for sure:

She despised this one.

*****

PENELOPE GARCIA WAS ECSTATIC, THE ENTIRE OFFICE COULD TELL. She entered the bullpen with a joyful stride, her heels singing as they clacked the ground, the noise alerting her coworkers—those whom she had sternly ordered to arrive thirty minutes earlier than what was expected of them. She took surprise party planning very seriously.

"What do you think?" She asked beaming, motioning to the usually morose-looking desk, decorated with love (or so Penelope said). "It looks good, right?"

"It looks great," JJ patted Penelope on the back, smiling softly. "You've outdone yourself. Truly."

It was extravagant, that was true. Penelope felt obliged to make up for the past four years missed, what with Lucy out of town and all. An extra special birthday welcome for an extra special birthday girl, her email to the team had read. A large banner was hoisted up above her desk (thank you, Morgan and Hotch), a plate of frosted cupcakes that read 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' sat on the desk.

Spencer had gotten the balloons. Why Penelope had tasked him specifically with it? He had no idea. (She figured Lucy would appreciate them all the more if he had gotten them for her). He hadn't minded, even if the journey from the Beltway Clean Cops meeting to the office with them had been a tad awkward, like a pitiful party for one.

Penelope warmed at the compliment, waving JJ away, "Ah, well, you know. . .Is everyone here?" Her eyes scanned the room—JJ by her side, Derek at his desk, Emily at hers. Even Hotch made a guest appearance in the bullpen, leaning against Spencer's desk. "Where's Rossi?! She is going to be here any minute. I—"

Just then, the glass door swung open and in stepped a whistling Rossi, looking as unconcerned as ever. His stride came to a halt when the room turned quiet. That's when he took notice of the desk, peppered with decor. "What's all this?" He asked, with a hesitancy that was unknown to him.

"Didn't you get my email?" Penelope asked. "It's Lucy's birthday."

"It's the first time she's been in town for it since she's started working here," JJ added.

There was a shift of sorts in the atmosphere in the room. They all felt it, only Rossi knew why. "You've gotta to get rid of this," was the first thing he said after a moments of silence. "The kid, she'll not like it," he then added.

"What?" Penelope asked, frowning. "Wh-Why?"

Rossi repeated his sentiment from before, "take it all down." It sounded less like a suggestion now. Everyone in the room seemingly had sat up straighter, and their eyebrows had raised, perhaps in their shock at Rossi's outburst.

"B-But everyone should celebrate their birthday," Penelope frowned, her preppy persona from before diminished. She resembled a kicked kitten now more than anything.

"Take it down—" Rossi had begun to repeat, his voices laced with sterner urgency this time, before Derek stood from his desk, placing a firm hand on the older man's shoulder.